Kentucky's Mountain Folkways

This drive is an excellent introduction to the mountain culture and the history of the pioneer settlement of America west of the Appalachians. The ride starts off gently in the rolling hills near Boonesborough and builds to a the scenic climax with the unique formations of Cumberland Gap. Along the way, there are picturesque farms, historic towns, country music venues and the crafts capital of Kentucky.

Start off the trip by getting knee deep in history at Fort Boonesborough State Park. The park contains a re-creation of a fort built by legendary frontiersman Daniel Boone in 1775. The fort has been faithfully reconstructed on a bank of the Kentucky River, complete with period furnishings and costumed interpreters and artisans re-enacting life as it would have been when the explorer stayed here.

The next stop is Berea, known as the “Folk Arts and Crafts Capital of Kentucky.” More than 50 artisans, including dulcimer and fiddle makers, jewelers, weavers, quilters and furniture makers, have shops lining the streets of the Old Town. Before leaving Berea, stop at Churchill Weavers, America’s largest hand-weaving studio. Handwoven goods have been made here since the 1920s. Free, self-guided tours of the loom house are available. Don’t miss the gift shop and the remarkable rose garden adjacent to the studio.

Down the road apiece is Renfro Valley, otherwise known as the “Country Music Capital of Kentucky.” If you enjoy country music, you might want to get tickets for a concert at the Renfro Valley Entertain-ment Center. The venue has several weekly shows, featuring country, bluegrass and gospel music, along with special concerts featuring the likes of Loretta Lynn, Charley Pride and Billy Ray Cyrus.

London has been a crossroads for travelers since pioneers started wandering through these parts in the late 1700s. Nearby Levi Jackson Wilderness Road State Park commemorates these early explorers and contains Boone’s Trace, another path blazed by the famous frontiersman. Park visitors can explore the Mountain Life Museum, a reproduction of a pioneer settlement. Hiking is another option. Trails include eight and a half miles of the original Wilderness Road, constructed by Daniel Boone and his party, and trod by more than 200,000 settlers in the 1770s.

For a taste of something a little different, Corbin is the home of another Kentucky favorite son. Yes, this is the town where good old Colonel Sanders first experimented with his secret fried chicken recipe that spawned Kentucky Fried Chicken (now called KFC). The Colonel Harland Sanders Café & Museum, located on US 25 just off of I-75, features the Colonel’s original kitchen and a gallery with all sorts of related memorabilia. And yes, fingerlickin’ good fried chicken is on the café menu.

End your journey through the Bluegrass State in Middlesboro. This is where you can take in some of the most stunning views in the South at Cumberland Gap National Historic Park. After winding your way up the 2,400 foot mountainside, take a short walk to Pinnacle Overlook, providing panoramic views of Kentucky, Tennessee and Virginia. Miles of peaks in all directions are broken only by the Cumberland Gap itself, a tiny break in the mountains through which Daniel Boone led his assembly of settlers. With the opening of the Cumberland Gap Highway Tunnel in the mid-1990s, the route has been returned to its late 1700s appearance. The tunnel, running under the Cumberland Mountains, is perhaps the most technologically advanced in the world. It connects Kentucky with the states of Tennessee and Virginia through twin portals under the mountains.

HORSING AROUND IN KENTUCKY

But don’t leave Kentucky just yet. Head back up north to visit the state’s two biggest metropolises. Louisville and Lexington both combine urban sophistication with Kentucky’s thoroughbred heritage.

Louisville, Kentucky’s largest city, is synonymous with the Kentucky Derby. Even if you didn’t make it for the “Run for the Roses” this year, you can still watch the horses race at Churchill Downs through June. There’s also a museum on the grounds, where you can learn more about the world’s most famous horse race.

Although Louisville has the competition, Lexington has the pedigree. Driving through the countryside on the outskirts of town, you’ll drive by white picket fences, enclosing bluegrass pastures and the horse farms where many of the world’s top equine champions are bred. If you want to see these farms up close, several Lexington-based companies offer horse farm tours. Another option is to gallop over to the Kentucky Horse Park. The 1,032-acre complex features the International Museum of the Horse, the Breeds Barn and a 30-minute Parade of Breeds, where visitors can mingle with horses and their riders. And while in the Bluegrass State, don’t miss the chance to get in the saddle yourself. Many stables around Kentucky offer rides, as do several state parks. Guided horseback rides are offered daily in Daniel Boone National Forest in the eastern part of the state.